Installing Windows off a HDD?

[Thibaudv]

Hey guys, my Windows 8 OS is getting kind of cluttered with all the random crap I've been downloading over the last while, and my Raid0 128+128gb SSDs are getting full, so I thought I should reinstall Windows and put 8.1 on my pc.

Now during the week, I live in the student city, and during the weekends I live at home, and unfortunately I forgot to bring the CD with Windows on it.

 

Would it be possible to copy a .iso file of windows 8.1 on the empty 500gb HDD I have in my system, then make the system boot off of that one and then format the SSDs and put Windows 8.1 on it?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Also I'd like to do the same thing with Ubuntu, so I can dual boot 8.1 and ubuntu off of my SSDs.

[Alterlai]

Hey guys, my Windows 8 OS is getting kind of cluttered with all the random crap I've been downloading over the last while, and my Raid0 128+128gb SSDs are getting full, so I thought I should reinstall Windows and put 8.1 on my pc.

Now during the week, I live in the student city, and during the weekends I live at home, and unfortunately I forgot to bring the CD with Windows on it.

 

Would it be possible to copy a .iso file of windows 8.1 on the empty 500gb HDD I have in my system, then make the system boot off of that one and then format the SSDs and put Windows 8.1 on it?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Also I'd like to do the same thing with Ubuntu, so I can dual boot 8.1 and ubuntu off of my SSDs.

 

You can use the ISO to make a bootable image. And boot from your HDD. You can then reformat your external HDD after the installation is done.

[Thibaudv]

You can use the ISO to make a bootable image. And boot from your HDD. You can then reformat your external HDD after the installation is done.

So if I just put the .iso file on the HDD, it won't work?

[_wky]

Another way you could do it is download the .ISO and use this Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to make a USB flash drive bootable with the ISO on it.

[Thibaudv]

Another way you could do it is download the .ISO and use this Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool to make a USB flash drive bootable with the ISO on it.

Sad thing is that I don't own a USB that is bigger than 2gb.. 

[Alterlai]

Sad thing is that I don't own a USB that is bigger than 2gb.. 

I haven't tested this myself but i'm sure if the hdd is connected via usb you can make it bootable.

[FizzyFantom]

Hey guys, my Windows 8 OS is getting kind of cluttered with all the random crap I've been downloading over the last while, and my Raid0 128+128gb SSDs are getting full, so I thought I should reinstall Windows and put 8.1 on my pc.

Now during the week, I live in the student city, and during the weekends I live at home, and unfortunately I forgot to bring the CD with Windows on it.

 

Would it be possible to copy a .iso file of windows 8.1 on the empty 500gb HDD I have in my system, then make the system boot off of that one and then format the SSDs and put Windows 8.1 on it?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Also I'd like to do the same thing with Ubuntu, so I can dual boot 8.1 and ubuntu off of my SSDs.

I'm not sure about turning a HDD into a bootable device with an ISO image on it. Im sure it can be done with an external USB HDD, should you have a USB to SATA connector. I do know for a fact that a USB installer for Ubuntu can be made using the Linux USB installer (Found here: http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows). I have one for Ubuntu 12 on a 1GB USB drive.

You may be able to install them both to a HDD using the same methods you would with a USB, but I'm not certain that it will work.

[samuel]

Copy iso content to root of hdd and make that partition active either from cmd or disk management. Beware however that the bootloader will need that hdd attached to computer after installing windows. It can be repaired by startup repair fairly easily.

[Thibaudv]

Oh hey it worked! Thanks guys!